Radiation detecting cassette and radiation image picking-up system

• US 8,357,908 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Takeshi, Kito, Eiichi, Tanabe, Tsuyoshi, Yoshimi, Takuya, Ueta, Kazuharu, Iriuchijima, Makoto, Ohta, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US12/452,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 25037001-37015, 378/98.8
• US Class Current: 250/370.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4488 Means for cooling A61B6/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

A wireless communication control unit controls a transmitting and receiving apparatus so as to prohibit transmission of radiation image information to the outside by wireless communication or power supply from the outside to an electric power source by wireless communication in accordance with an exposure detecting signal from an exposure detecting unit or a conversion detecting signal from a conversion detecting unit. Thus, this can control the transmitting and receiving apparatus not to carry out, at the same period of time, the irradiation of a radiation (X) to a radiation detector, a conversion operation of the radiation image information in the radiation detector, and wireless communication by the transmitting and receiving apparatus.

Claims

1. A radiation detecting cassette comprising:

a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information;

wireless communicating means for performing wireless communications with an external circuit;

wireless communications control means for controlling the wireless communicating means;

exposure detecting means for detecting application of the radiation to the radiation conversion panel and outputting a detected result as an exposure detection signal to the wireless communications control means;

address signal generating means for supplying address signals to the radiation conversion panel for enabling the radiation conversion panel to convert the detected radiation into the radiographic image information;

a conversion detector which detects the address signals and outputs a detected result as a conversion detection signal to the wireless communications control means; and

a power supply for energizing the radiation conversion panel, the exposure detecting means, the conversion detector, the wireless communicating means, and the wireless communications control means,

wherein the wireless communications control means controls the wireless communicating means to inhibit transmission of the radiographic image information to an external circuit by way of the wireless communications and/or to inhibit supply of electric power from an external circuit to the power supply by way of the wireless communications.

2. A radiation detecting cassette according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communicating means performs UWB wireless communications with the external circuit.

3. A radiation detecting cassette according to claim 1, wherein the exposure detecting means specifies a given pixel among a plurality of pixels of the radiation conversion panel, detects application of the radiation to the radiation conversion panel based on a dose of the radiation detected by the specified pixel, and outputs a detected result as the exposure detection signal to the wireless communications control means.

4. A radiation detecting cassette according to claim 1,

wherein the conversion detector detects the address signals and outputs the detected result when the radiation conversion panel converts the detected radiation into the radiographic image information upon supply of the address signals from the address signal generating means to the radiation conversion panel.

5. A radiographic image capturing system comprising a radiation detecting cassette, a radiation source for outputting the radiation, and a control device for controlling the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette

wherein the radiation detecting cassette includes:

a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information;

wireless communicating means for performing wireless communications with an external circuit;

wireless communications control means for controlling the wireless communicating means;

exposure detecting means for detecting application of the radiation to the radiation conversion panel and outputting a detected result as an exposure detection signal to the wireless communications control means;

address signal generating means for supplying address signals to the radiation conversion panel for enabling the radiation conversion panel to convert the detected radiation into the radiographic image information;

a conversion detector which detects the address signals and outputs a detected result as a conversion detection signal to the wireless communications control means; and

a power supply for energizing the radiation conversion panel, the exposure detecting means, the conversion detector, the wireless communicating means, and the wireless communications control means,

wherein the wireless communications control means controls the wireless communicating means to inhibit transmission of the radiographic image information to an external circuit by way of the wireless communications and/or to inhibit supply of electric power from an external circuit to the power supply by way of the wireless communications.

6. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiation detecting cassette including a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information, and transmitting means connected to the radiation conversion panel, for transmitting the radiographic image information to an image processing means; and

a power feeder for wirelessly feeding power to the radiation detecting cassette,

wherein the power feeder includes electric power transmitting means for converting electric energy and wirelessly supplying the converted energy to the radiation detecting cassette;

the radiation detecting cassette includes an energy converter for converting the energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means back into electric energy; and

the electric power transmitting means is disposed in a state for wirelessly feeding power to the energy converter of the radiation detecting cassette, which is disposed in a state for capturing a radiographic image of the subject.

7. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 6, wherein the radiation detecting cassette includes an electric power reception on/off detector for detecting whether the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in an area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means.

8. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiation detecting cassette including a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information, and transmitting means connected to the radiation conversion panel, for transmitting the radiographic image information to an image processing means; and

a power feeder for wirelessly feeding power to the radiation detecting cassette,

wherein the power feeder includes electric power transmitting means for converting electric energy and wirelessly supplying the converted energy to the radiation detecting cassette; and

the radiation detecting cassette includes an energy converter for converting the energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means back into electric energy, and an electric power reception on/off detector for detecting whether the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in an area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means.

9. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 8, wherein the radiation detecting cassette includes a battery for storing the electric energy converted back by the energy converter.

10. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a power supply selector for selecting the battery as a power supply for energizing the radiation detecting cassette if the electric power reception on/off detector detects that the radiation detecting cassette has been placed outside of the area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means.

11. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 8, wherein the radiation detecting cassette includes a controller for instructing the energy converter to start converting the energy back into the electric energy if the electric power reception on/off detector detects that the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in the area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means.

12. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an indicator for externally indicating that the electric power reception on/off detector detects that the radiation detecting cassette has been placed outside of the area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means.

13. A radiation detecting cassette comprising:

a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information;

transmitting means connected to the radiation conversion panel, for transmitting the radiographic image information to an image processing means;

an energy converter for converting wirelessly supplied energy converted from electric energy back into electric energy; and

an electric power reception on/off detector for detecting whether the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in an area capable of receiving the wirelessly supplied energy.

14. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiation detecting cassette including a radiation conversion panel for detecting radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiographic image information, and transmitting means connected to the radiation conversion panel, for transmitting the radiographic image information to an image processing means; and

a power feeder for feeding power to the radiation detecting cassette,

wherein the transmitting means transmits the radiographic image information to the image processing means in a wired fashion through a signal line;

the power feeder wirelessly feeds power to the radiation detecting cassette; and

the radiation detecting cassette includes an energy converter for converting wirelessly supplied energy converted from electric energy back into electric energy, and

an electric power reception on/off detector for detecting whether the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in an area capable of receiving the wirelessly supplied energy.

15. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 14, wherein the power feeder includes electric power transmitting means for converting electric energy and wirelessly supplying the converted energy to the radiation detecting cassette.

16. A radiographic image capturing system according to claim 15, wherein the radiation detecting cassette includes data control means for receiving identification data of the power feeder and transmitting a wireless feeding enable signal to an external control device via the transmitting means and the signal line if the electric power reception on/off detector detects that the radiation detecting cassette has been placed in the area capable of receiving energy supplied from the electric power transmitting means;

and

the control device receives the wireless feeding enable signal from the radiation detecting cassette and thereafter transmits a power feeding start signal to the power feeder that corresponds to the identification data.